Rug dusting machine



July 30, 9 A. ELKINS ET AL RUG DUSTING MACHINE Filed Sept. 21, 1958 2Sheets-Sheet 1 lam ATTO RN EYS y Q 1940- A. ELKINS ET AL RUG nuswmemomma Filed Sept. 21, 1938 2 Shee ts-Sheet 2 HdnllllIl l Patented July30, 1940 UNITED STATES 2,209,647 RUG DUSTING MACHINE Alvie L. Elkins andClaude P. Edwards,

Atlanta, Ga.

Application September 21, 1938, Serial No. 231,055

2 Claims.

The invention relates to a vacuum cleaner for rugs or the like and moreespecially to a rug dusting machine.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a machine ofthis character, wherein a rug or carpet can be introduced onto. themachine and in the working thereof the said rug, carpet or the like willbeacted upon so as to effect the opening of the nap or the pile and inthis way freeing dust, dirt or other settlings therefrom, whereby thesaid rug, carpet or the like will be thoroughly cleaned.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a machine of thischaracter, wherein the construction is novel in that the work to bedusted or cleaned will be subjected to a beating action and at pointswhere the nap or pile has been automatically opened to assure a thoroughremoval of dust, dirt, sand or other accumulations from the fabric orbody of such rug.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a machine of thischaracter, wherein the accumulations taken from the rug, carpet or thelike will be carried off and the rug, carpet or the like will be dustedfor the cleaning thereof with assurance that all accumulations lodged inthe body thereof will be extracted or .removed with dispatch, the rug,carpet orthe like being fedonto the machine in a unique manner and alsosuch rug, carpet or the like will be troughed both at the feed anddelivery sides of the machine to avoid soiling or dirtying' thereofwhile being handled as would be the case if it were delivered onto afloor or other foundation.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a machine ofthis character, which is simple in its construction, thoroughly reliableand efiicient in operation, eliminates the scatter ing of the dust anddirt taken from rugs, carpets or the like within the atmosphere of aroom or other enclosure, and is strong, durable and inex pensive tomanufacture and install. With these and other objects in view, theinvention consists in the features of construction, combination andarrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, asillustrated in the accompanying" drawings, which disclose the preferredembodiment of the invention, and as pointed out in the claims hereuntoappended.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a top plan view of the machineconstructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a front elevational View taken-on the line 22 of Figure 1looking inthe direction of the arrows.

Figure 3 is an end elevation.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical transverse sectional viewthrough the machine.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 5--5 ofFigure 3 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on the'line 66 of Figure 4 looking inthe direction of the arrows.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout theseveral views in the drawings.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the machine constituting thepresent invention comprises a stand comprising the uprights I I), I Iand I2, respectively, the uprights Ill and I I being joined to a baseframe I4, while built with the stand is a work bed formed from sheetmetal sections I4 and I5, respectively, these having the flat areas I6arranged in the same plane with each other at the top of the stand andhorizontally disposed. The section I4 has a feed trough I! while thesection I5 has the delivery or receiving trough I8. These troughs I! andI8 are downwardly disposed with relation to the horizontal areas I6 ofthe'said sections I4 and I5, respectively.

The areas I6 of the sections I4 and I5 are sepa rated from each other atapproximately the lon gitudinal center of the stand effecting anelongated opening I9 of uniform width throughout the extent thereof.

Confronting the opening I9 is a cylindrical roll comprising the twosections 20 and 2| respectively, which are substantially peripherallyflush with the plane of the areas I6 of the work bed sections I4 and I5,these roll sections at their ends adjacent to each other being separatedfor accommodating an intermediate bearing 23 built within the standwhile the outer ends of said sections have the journals 24 fittingbearings 25 built within said stand. Thus the roll including thesections 20 and 2| has a three-point bearing in the machine, theintermediate bearing 23 and theouter bearings 25, two in number,respectively. I

Provided longitudinally of the roll following the extent of the sections20 and 2| thereof and circumferentially spaced about the same withuniformity are striker ribs 26, these being longitudinally extended andradially directed and adapted for striking engagement with a piece ofwork 21 such as a rug, carpet or the like-when the latter issuperimposed on the areas I6 and spans the opening IQ as is clearlyshown by dotted lines in Figure 4 of the drawings.

The roll including the sections 20 and 2| has one journal 24 equippedwith a belt pulley 28 over which is trained an endless belt 29, thelatter being trained over a driving pulley 39 fixed to the drive shaft3! of an electric motor 32, which is suitably bracketed at 33 in thestand of the machine.

Below the'opening I9 is a walled mouth 35 opening into the said openingl9 and such mouth is a part of a suction conduit 35 leading centrally toa suction fan housing or casing 35, the suction fan proper beingindicated at 31, while leading from the periphery of this housing orcasing 33 is a discharge flue 38. The fan 3'. has its axle 39 equippedwith a belt wheel Ml over which is trained an endless belt 4!, thelatter being also trained over a companion belt wheel 42 fixed to mannerthe suction fan is operated.

Bridging theopening i9 and the roll which includes the sections 20 andEl and rotatable in said opening is a series of spaced guards which areuniformly spaced from each other in their straddling relation to saidopening l9, and are provided with eye terminals 64 accommodatingfasteners 45 securing the same in place. Each guard 43 has a curvilinearintermediate portion 46 arched over a roll section 20 or 2!, as the casemay be and a downwardly directed bight area 41, respectively, the latterbeing merged with the curvilinear portion 36 and the function of theseportions is to effect a continuity of fold in the piece of work whenhand advanced over the guards 43, thus resulting in the opening of thenap or pile of the fabric of the piece of work while traveling eitherover the arched portions 46 or within the depressed bights 41, dependingupon whether the fabric is disposed pile face up or the reverse, andthrough suction by the operation of the fan 2?, dust, dirt or otheraccumulations in the body of the piece of work will be removedtherefrom. The advancement of the piece of work and the subjectionthereof to the effect of vacuum or suction will assure the con tinuityof a fold in the body of such piece of work at the bight portion A! ofeach guard 43 and a conformed upward curvature of the fabric on thearched portions 36 of the guards, thus resulting in the automaticopening of the nap or pile as just above described for a thoroughcleaning or the removal of dust, dirt or the like therefrom. The pieceof work is rolled or otherwise tucked into the trough H, the lead end ofthe work being carried by hand onto the area it of the section It nextthereto and through hand feeding will be caused to traverse the openingii! supported by the guards 43. Now, under activity of the suction fan31, not only is the work pulled inwardly in the region of the opening l9and maintained in intimate contact with the guards 43, but all looseneddirt, dust or other accumulations in the body of the piece of work willbe removed therefrom and carried or conveyed away from the machinewithout liability of contamination of the atmosphere within anenclosure, room or the like in which the machine is located.

During the suction activity of the machine, the piece of work will beflexed and vibrated as it is subjected to a beating through the strikerribs 26 on the roll coming in quick successioninto contact with portionsof the work which are obviously sagged between the respective guards 43porting bed;

of operation, the piece of work, such as a rug,

carpet or the like, will be freed of dust, dirt, sand or otheraccumulated matter.

What is claimed is:

1. In a fabric cleaning machine of the character described and includinga supporting bed over which the fabric to be cleaned is passed and thedriving shaft 3i of the motor 32 and in this a suction chamber beneaththe bed, said bed having an elongated opening extending transversely, ofthe direction of travel of the work thereover and in communicationthroughout with the suction chamber therebelow; a rotary beater elementlocated within the suction chamber and confronting said opening in thesupporting bed, said heater element comprising a body roll extending thelength of said opening and positioned so that its uppermostcircumferential portion is tangential to a plane substantially the sameas that of the adjacent top face portion of the supradially directed,spaced apart, striker protuberances on the circumference of said bodyroll; and laterally spaced, parallel, guard bars spanning said openingof the supporting bed and extending above the rotary beater elementcrosswise thereof, said guard bars being each bowed upwardly with anintermediate major portion formed curvilinear and concentric with thecircumference of the body roll of said beater element and spacedtherefrom, whereby the fabric passing over said guard bars has spacedparallel line support thereon and, by the effect of suction therebelow,is urged into contact with 7 said barsand the adjacent portions of thefabric traveling over the spaces between the respective bars are made tosag upon the portions of the roll circumference traveling thereunder soas to receive the impact of the striker protuberances of the roll, andportions of said guard bars between their respective end portions andtheir curvilinear intermediate major portions being formed withdownwardlydirected bights disposed at the side of the body rollof thebeater element whereby to maintain a continuity of troughed open fold inthe fabric and paralleling said body roll guring the travel of thefabric over said guard ars.

2. In a fabric cleaning machine of the character described and includinga supporting bed over which the fabric to be cleaned is passed and asuction chamber beneath the bed, said bed having an elongatedopeningextending transversely of the direction of travel of the work thereoverand in communication throughout with the suction chamber therebelow; arotary beater element located within the suction chamher and confrontingsaid opening in the supporting bed, said heater element comprising abody roll extending the length of said opening and positioned so thatits uppermost Circumferential portion is tangential to a planesubstantially the same as that of the adjacent top face portion of thesupporting :bed; elongated longitudinal, radially directed, striker ribsspaced apart an- 'nular ly on the circumference of said body roll; andlaterally spaced, parallel, guard bars spanning said opening of thesupporting bed and extending above the rotary beater element crosswisethereof, said guard bars being each bowed upwardly with an intermediatemajor portion formed curvilinear and concentric with the circumferenceof the body roll of said beater element and spaced therefrom forclearance of the striker ribs on the roll circumference, whereby thefabric passing over said guard bars has spaced parallel line supportthereon and, by the effect of suction therebelow, is urged into contactwith said bars and the adjacent portions of the fabric traveling overthe spaces between the respective bars are made to sag upon the portionsof the roll circumference traveling thereunder so as to receive theimpact of the striker ribs of the roll, and portions of said guard barsbetween their respective end portions and their curvilinear intermediate major portions being formed with downwardly directed bightsdisposed at the side of the body roll of the beater element whereby tomaintain a continuity of troughed open fold in the fabric andparalleling said body roll during the travel of the fabric over saidguard bars.

ALVIE L. ELKINS. CLAUDE P. EDWARDS.

